Cucumber, Chickpea, Tomato and Feta Salad

A refreshing salad is always a great meal choice when the heat is on outside. This salad is protein rich from the chickpeas and feta cheese, so it is ideal for a main dish.

I have wanted to make this for awhile, but was waiting for my cucumbers to ripen in my little garden. Problem was, every time I had a ripe one and picked it, the preschooler would eat it! I am so glad I have a four year old who loves fruits and vegetables, but her grandmother and I barely got a couple of slices of cucumber! The tomatoes did come from my plants, or I should say plant, since only one of them seems to be producing any fruit. I’ve got to work on my gardening skills, apparently. . .

The seed for this recipe came from my Weight Watchers leader Kathy. She make a version of a chickpea and feta salad that she loves. And when Kathy loves something, she really lets you know! I have been struggling lately with my weight loss journey, and writing a food and recipe blog does not help! But I go to Kathy’s Weight Watcher meetings and absorb her energy. I can vent when I have a bad week i.e. when I eat whatever the hell I want, and celebrate my weight losses when I have followed the program. Because if you follow the Weight Watchers program, you will lose weight! If you are kind of half assed about it, as I have been lately, you don’t. But now that I have outed myself to my readers, I guess I better get it together again and get back on the program.

If you are a Points Plus tracker, this salad is 4 points for 1/2 cup. If you would like to lower the points value, use less feta cheese or a reduced fat feta cheese, as that is where most of the points are.

*I used a crumbled feta from Trader Joe’s with Mediterranean Herbs, but plain feta is fine.

Seasonal summer vegetables and herbs tossed with protein rich chickpeas make a great side or main dish salad!

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes, diced

1 large cucumber, halved, seeded and diced

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 (6 ounce) container crumbled feta cheese with Mediterranean herbs

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, lightly chopped

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves, lightly chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas and feta cheese into a medium bowl.In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, tarragon, salt and pepper until slightly emulsified and thickened. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to mix well. For maximum flavor, place the salad in the refrigerator for at least one hour for the flavors to meld.Serve as a side dish or main dish salad.

Comments

There’s this goat feta cheese at Union Square Farmer’s Market that is unlike any super or health food brand. This is the type of salad I would use it in because of its fresh vegetables and herbs. The addition of the chickpeas makes this a substantial salad, too.